Looking for garage/workshop space for bike restoration Wellington

**catatonicChimp** · 27th March 2018, 12:34

I am in the middle of restoring 2 MZ ETZ 250's in different levels of disrepair, but I live in an Apartment in the city which is not conducive to doing restoration work as I can't just take everything apart and leave it sitting in the garage. so I am looking for somewhere I can store and work on the bikes ideally in the General Wellington City area. Does anyone have and leads? I don't mind sharing space if anyone wants to join in renting a place or would like to share their space...

Cheers

Andrew.

**smmudd83_1999** · 27th March 2018, 14:05

Your flat is likely warmer than most garages in the Wellington City boundary as a lot aren't integral and don't even have power for heating and lighting. So you're probably best off doing it in your flat anyway!!

Not directly helpful, but back in the day my brother was in a similar situation with a BSA B44.
He had the bought the bike in bits in wee crates.

1)He taped tarp to the walls and floors like a serial killer about to chop up a dead body.
2)He went up the lift with his boxes of bits. It took several trips/most of an afternoon.
3)He undertook dry build no.1 in that spare room to make sure it was complete. This is bike restoration 101 yet I'm amazed by the gung ho attitude of restorers not bothering with this first step. He did his research and ordered the bits he thought he needed (down to the bolt) from UK specialists. You can't do this without doing the dry build first. It only took him a couple of weeks.
4)He took photos of every subassembly during the strip down and sent boxes of stuff to powder coaters, platers, wheel rebuilders, suspension specialists, painters, carbs were stripped and rebuilt by someone. All with specific instructions taped to each labelled and bagged part etc.
This is the UK about 15 years ago when motorcycle restoration sub specialists who were bloody good at knowing their product and their art were ten to a dozen.
5)Meanwhile he started on the technical stuff. He only had an engine, gearbox (which was the bit that needed work and he sent that off to get fixed too), headlights, tail lights, indicators, seat, footpeg and brake rubbers, throttle grip, little bits and pieces left over. That was it.
6)Stuff started to trickle back from specialist service providers after a few weeks.
7)As a sub assembly came back complete he would put it together, otherwise he would wait until all the bits came back. So gradually parts of the bike started to come together in that room.
8)Once everything came back he did dry build no.2 to doubly make sure he had everything for a final build. He didn't. He ordered more parts. Doh!
9)When the bike was all there in the spare room and fully built up and looking bootiful, he stripped it down into chunks (handlebars too wide to fit in the lift. After that the bike actually fitted in the lift with just the forks removed and the bike sat on a wee trolley!)
10)He did the final build (no.3) now that the bike was complete in the car park space under the apartment block. And then did all the other stuff you have to do to finish a resto job, like tweaking the carb set up from factory standard, something to do with his ignition set up was out, the powdercoater had coated over the earthing point, new battery, new oils, greased everything, torqued everything up to the manual etc etc.
11)And then fired it up after some huffing and puffing (and remedial electrical work!) and went for an "MOT", (which is like a British WOF) after pootling around on it for a couple of days.

He didn't have a work bench, just a really heavy vice which was loose! When something needed to be held upright (like the engine in the frame to fit either end) he mounted the unit on wood blocks.

I think it took him about 8 intense months. He had a job, but no girlfriend at the time. Or hobbies. Yes, he is committed, single minded, fastidious and methodical. But that should be true of anyone doing a quality resto job. And it cost him a lot more money than the bike is worth, which is always the case if you're doing a proper job.

And my dad once did a top end rebuild on his older brother's Trumpy T90 in the hallway, back in the day.

I once helped a chap with his Indian Scout. I told him to do the dry build and his attitude was "no, we'll just go ahead and as we find we need bits we'll get them". That was a year and a half ago and he still hasn't got all the bits so the project keeps stalling. Also, he is assembling the bike in his shed, which is at the bottom of his garden down a STEEP slope. I said "how are you going to get it out of here when it's built?" and he said "we'll just ride it out." And he meant it. Neither of us are Dougie Lampkin, so eff that. In some recent heavy downpours that shed has flooded twice. He is losing interest in the project, I tell you.

A nice warm garage with good lighting and easy access is one thing. But in Wellington there's not so many of those so you might do better in a spare room in a flat!!

**catatonicChimp** · 27th March 2018, 14:20

Thanks smmudd, but its not really possible for me....

If the:
a) apartment was my own
b) there was a spare room or just space in general in the apartment
c) there wasn't a specific strata bylaw about not doing any vehicle maintenance in the building
d) there wasn't a rental inspection every 3 months.
e) the bikes would actually fit in the lift to get it to the 7th floor
then maybe* I would...

but yeah it isn't really an option...

Cold weather doesn't really bother me, I've already restored my car here in wellington working in one of those cold damp dark cramped garages... though it did have power... but that was when I was living out in Karori and had my own garage...

I really wish that NZ/Wellington had something like Rising Sun Workshop in Sydney, at least that was my original plan for my 1st MZ ETZ 250... https://www.risingsunworkshop.com/

**sidecar bob** · 27th March 2018, 19:53

Here's a thought, move to a shire that has properties that fit your lifestyle.

**jellywrestler** · 27th March 2018, 20:13

Originally Posted by sidecar bob

Here's a thought, move to a shire that has properties that fit your lifestyle.

Gore springs to my mind Steve, at least with bikes like MZ's...

**BMWST?** · 27th March 2018, 20:14

prolly an expensive way to do it though

**Akzle** · 27th March 2018, 21:08

ind a nigga with a crane (surely there's still a few kicking round wgtn)

put bike and gear on roof. boom. storage and anti-theft all in one. be a fucken determined cunt pushes a bike down 20 flights of fuken stairs.

**jellywrestler** · 27th March 2018, 21:41

Originally Posted by BMWST?

prolly an expensive way to do it though

yip maybe, but if one in the middle is used as a workshop then that's a whole new set of rules, fire protection requirements, power supply issues and insurance so probably not a happening thing.
give barrys garage a ring, he may know a facility

**Crasherfromwayback** · 27th March 2018, 22:57

Get hold of Barry New.

**catatonicChimp** · 28th March 2018, 09:47

Originally Posted by sidecar bob

Here's a thought, move to a shire that has properties that fit your lifestyle.

I am pretty sure central wellington suits my lifestyle just fine with the exception of the space to work on bikes... I ain't moving anywhere that doesn't have 7 breweries within 1km walking distance...

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

yip maybe, but if one in the middle is used as a workshop then that's a whole new set of rules, fire protection requirements, power supply issues and insurance so probably not a happening thing.
give barrys garage a ring, he may know a facility

Originally Posted by Crasherfromwayback

Get hold of Barry New.

Not sure what your referring to at the start of your message @jellywrestler?
Will give Barrys a call and see if he has any ideas

**jellywrestler** · 28th March 2018, 10:04

Originally Posted by catatonicChimp

Not sure what your referring to at the start of your message @jellywrestler?
Will give Barrys a call and see if he has any ideas

was reffering to storage units, they are that, not workshops, they'll be very gunshy about working in them especially after one burnt down in mirimar or thereabouts a year or two ago
barrys garage, 0212633724

**catatonicChimp** · 28th March 2018, 10:14

ah yip I know the place well... I already have a unit there with all my spare parts for my Trabant...
I should probably check with them as well since I do have some spare space there and there is a power socket on the outside which I could run a lamp to...

**jasonu** · 28th March 2018, 11:58

Originally Posted by catatonicChimp

I ain't moving anywhere that doesn't have 7 breweries within 1km walking distance...

s

ya can't argue with that logic!!!

**catatonicChimp** · 28th March 2018, 13:30

spoke to Barry, he can't allow work to be done at his site due to insurance and didn't have any other additional advice...
asked storage place where I am storing spare parts and they are also a no...

**sidecar bob** · 28th March 2018, 19:04

Originally Posted by catatonicChimp

I am pretty sure central wellington suits my lifestyle just fine with the exception of the space to work on bikes... I ain't moving anywhere that doesn't have 7 breweries within 1km walking distance...

Buy a fridge, you can have 7 brews within ten metres, and you won't have to pay retail & hang out with pretentious arty types while you drink them.